Time Capsule Buried in Hades
by Swagnarok
Summary: Two years ago, Heiji and Kazuha put into writing the words they dared not utter out loud, and entrusted them within a shoebox that was promptly buried in a forest whose infamy was renewed year after year as the body count continued to rise. Episodes 1011-1012.
1. Chapter 1

Hey. It's me, Swagnarok. If this story piqued your curiosity enough that you decided to go ahead and give it a try, then I would like to take this opportunity to just say thanks. It's readers like you that keep me motivated to write.

That being said, this fic isn't like the other ones that I've written. This one is set in a place called Aokigahara Forest, better known in the West as the "Suicide Forest". Indeed: every year about 100 people who enter this forest succeed in killing themselves. Scores of others do come here to make an attempt but are dissuaded, stopped, or otherwise change their minds. It is surpassed in the annual death toll perhaps only by the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco.

In writing about this place, I am giving it unneeded publicity. Whenever there is an uptick in public interest in or attention towards the forest, this is correlated with an uptick in the number of suicides that happen here. Thus, the act of writing a story like this and posting it on a website which can be accessed by just about anyone with Wi-Fi around the world is a morally questionable one.

Nonetheless, my stories tend to have few readers. The overwhelming majority of these readers are not from Japan. I do not expect for this story to be any different in that regard. The odds that this story will have a tangible negative impact on the world are quite small. Therefore I do proceed, albeit with caution.

I would be remiss, however, if in writing about a real-life suicide site I did not make some exceedingly small contribution to the cause of suicide prevention.

Therefore, if you are having seriously contemplating taking your own life, here are some resources that I recommend checking out.

US: National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255

Japan: 810352869090

Australia: Lifeline: 13-11-14

China: 85223820000

UK: Samaritans: 116 123

France: 0145394000

Russia: 0078202577577

Indonesia: HOTLINE 500-454

South Africa: Suicide Crisis Line: 0800 567 567

Note: Some of the above numbers may be defunct at the time that you are reading this and/or you may be charged a rate for calling.

Once you're dead, you're dead. No takebacks. We humans have a tendency to interpret the past and future through the lens of the present. But present conditions are no guarantee of what your future will look like. The battles you face and hopelessness you feel now are, in all likelihood, only temporary. In all likelihood, things will eventually get better. But suicide is an irreversible act based on fears of a future that you cannot possibly predict. So please think before you act.

Should you ever pay a visit to Aokigahara Forest as a tourist, always remember to be respectful, don't litter, and don't venture off the trail. Getting lost in those woods can be fatal even to those who don't want to die.

With all of the above having been stated, this story will now begin.

X

X

X

X

 _The schoolbus came to a stop at the Narusawa Ice Cave parking lot._

 _The principal stood in the front of the bus._

 _"Before any of us leaves this bus, I'd like to re-iterate that we will not be behaving like hooligans here," the principal said. "No joking about dead bodies, no leaving your trash on the ground. And no 'taking a whizz' off the trail. I assume there are bathrooms in the visitor center, so use that as your opportunity to go instead of doing so inside of the forest. Let's all stay as a group so nobody gets lost. This forest is very dense so you ought not to leave the trail at any time. Any questions?"_

 _One student raised his hand. "So, like, are scientists going to dig this out of the ground in one hundred years?"_

 _The Principal sighed. "No, for the last time we are here to bury a time capsule which we'll be unearthing in 5 years. Each of you will write something on a slip of paper and put it in the box, and a group photo of this class will be included."_

 _Why we have to do this in a suicide forest is beyond me, he thought. "Alright, let's be getting out now, in an orderly fashion. Chop chop!"_

 _They got out of the bus and walked across the parking lot. A very poorly parked light green 2015 Toyota Prius caught Heiji's eye._

 **One Hour and Twenty Five Minutes Later**

 _They were now leaving the Saiko Iyashi no Sato Nenba, a reconstructed "samurai village" near Lake Sai, and therefore back on the Aokigahara walking trail._

 _As they were walking, Heiji just stared blankly at Kazuha, who was talking with two of her friends._

 _"Psst, Heiji," one of his classmates, Toyomitsu, said. "So whadya think? You in or are you too chicken?"_

 _"Hmph, whodya take me for?" Heiji retorted. "I'm not scared of nuffin! I'll show ya!"_

 _The Principal came to a stop. He nodded to the class president, who stepped forward and handed him the shoebox._

 _The Principal opened the box and put the class photo that they had taken roughly five minutes earlier in it._

 _"Alright," the Principal said. "There are twelve of you here, so there are twelve slips of paper in this box. You'll all now line up single file and each take one paper. Be sure to write something on it. You can either use your own pen or you can ask to borrow one from the class president. Once you're done, head to the back of the line and place your slip back in the box once it's your turn. Do not leave your paper blank, don't write anything obscene on there, and be sure to include your name somewhere on the paper, either on the front or back."_

 _Heiji took his and took out a pen from his backpack._

 _He pressed his paper against a tree. He looked back at Toyomitsu, who just grinned and gave him a mischievous thumbs up signal._

 _Heiji sighed and then nervously wrote the words that he didn't mean:_

 _"I love you Kazuha"._

 _His heart racing, he folded the paper neatly and went to the back of the line._

 _Kazuha then also went to the back of the line, and stood directly behind him._

 _"Psst, Heiji," she whispered, "what'd you write on yours?"_

 _"W-Why are you asking me?" he responded._

 _"I'm just curious," she said._

 _"I, uh, I just wrote 'Heiji was here'. This whole time capsule thing is dumb, so I'm not taking myself too seriously."_

 _"Oh..."_

 _"And how about you?" Heiji asked. "What'd you write?"_

 _"The same," Kazuha said._

 _Is she...blushing? Heiji wondered, observing her facial expression._

 _"...Can I see yours?" Heiji asked._

 _"No way!" Kazuha said, shaking her head adamantly.  
_

 _There was a pause._

 _"Can I see yours?" Kazuha asked._

 _"There's nothing to see!" Heiji responded._

 _"If there's nothing to see then you can show me, right?" Kazuha said._

 _"By that logic, you should be able to show me yours!" Heiji said._

 _"Next," the Principal said impatiently._

 _Realizing that he was up, Heiji breathed a sigh of relief._

 _He put his paper in the shoebox and walked away whistling._

 _"And remember, class," the Principal interjected suddenly, "five years from now all of these papers will be read out loud."_

 _Upon hearing this, Heiji immediately ran back towards the Principal._

 _"Hey, sir, can I have my slip back?" Heiji asked. "I'd like to write something else instead."_

 _"No, you had your chance," the Principal said._

 _"Please!"_

 _"No," the Principal said, more forcefully this time. "Don't ask again."_

 _Heiji felt sick to his stomach. Like he had just made one of the biggest mistakes of his life._

 _A few yards away, Toyomitsu gave one of his friends a high five and they were both laughing, presumably at Heiji._

 _It's all that son of a b***h's fault, Heiji thought angrily._

 _He began to walk towards Toyomitsu to give him a piece of his mind when-_

 _"Come quick!"_

 _One local police officer had said this to another._

 _"What happened?"_

 _"There's a body hanging from a tree. A woman, early to mid 20s. Looks like she might still have a chance. Help me get her down!"_

 _And with that, the whole class watched as Heiji stopped what he was doing and ran off the path, following after the two officers. Kazuha, in turn, ran after him._

 **Scene Transition**

 **Present Day**

They'd departed from the Hattori household after breakfast and taken a car to Aokigahara Forest in Yamanashi Prefecture.

Also known as _Kuroi Jukai_ (lit. "Black Sea of Trees"), this was a one-of-a-kind place on earth where the boundary between earth and the netherworld was unclear. Visitors to the forest were often awestruck at both its scenic beauty and its eerie silence. This was an old-growth forest, given shape by the eruption of the nearby Mount Fuji in 864 AD. Wildlife was scarce and moss-covered rocks formed over a thousand years ago from hardened lava littered the forest grounds. Paradoxically, this place which was associated with death was lush and green all year round. There was an unusually large number of evergreen plants, and many of the trees found here were more than 300 years old.

But Heiji, Kazuha, Conan and Nancy were not here as tourists. Their business here was nothing short of serious.

A week and a half ago, Heiji received a letter, signed by the woman who had died hanging from a tree two years ago in this forest on the day that he and his class had come here for a field trip. The letter invited him to return here on this day...

To face her judgment.

 **OPENING**

(White Sails by Maroon Festival)

(No pain, no gain! In the course of exposing the flaws in others you'll often uncover unwanted truths about yourself! X marks the spot! The race is on between Heiji and Kazuha to find the buried treasure in which lies the heart's desire! Perceiving the one and only truth! With the body of a child but the mind of an adult, my name is DETECTIVE CONAN!)

If you look now you can see them departing from the docks

Bravely embarking beyond the horizon visible from the shore

Venturing into the endless deep-blue expanse we call the earth

Filled with anticipation and the realization there's no turning back

A trail blazed by the trade winds, overhead, blowing on their hair

Their time-worn wooden craft dipping into the crashing waves

The furthest out of the land-based seagulls seeing them off at last

As they boldly tread where none of their kin have gone before

"Isn't it great to be alive in these times?" the captain says, leaning against the deck

"Our forefathers made the way for this glorious day: let's not let them down, eh?"

White sails unfurled, capturing the wind, our time is here and now

We are the human race, the inheritors of a momentous undertaking

Today we write the next chapter in the timeless story of the proud

So they'll say of us, "They pushed the boundary to the next level."

 **Time Capsule Buried in Hades! Part One!**

"You did WHAT?!"

Before arriving Heiji and Kazuha had briefed Conan and Nancy on the threatening letter. As the information contained within was scarce, Heiji decided that the best course of action was to simply show up at the appointed time and wait to see what happened.

Being acquainted with the local chief of police, and with his dad vouching for him, Heiji received permission to camp for the night off-trail (a lot of suicidal people just did this anyway, often taking several days to decide on whether or not they wanted to follow through with killing themselves, as did some tourists; Heiji, being a good law-abiding citizen, sought permission beforehand) on the condition that from his campsite the trail should be readily visible, and that he should be careful not to set off a forest fire. Accordingly, they brought two tents and a fire extinguisher with them.

They walked across the forest to near the samurai village, at roughly the point where Heiji and Kazuha's class was two years ago when the High School Detective of the West heard the news of the body and ran off.

Or, at least, that's where they thought it was. If their memories served them right.

"Oi, ya wanna repeat that any louder now?" Heiji scolded.

They'd split up, ostensibly for the purpose of gathering firewood.

"But why would you do something like that?" Conan demanded, a lot quieter this time. "You couldn't have realized your feelings for Kazuha before that magic show case, right?"

(Author's Note: Episodes 406-408)

"You're half-right," Heiji said. "I've entertained the thought every now and then for a while, but it was never anything serious. But what happened here two years ago was, whaddya call it...catalyst. That's the right word, no?"

"Catalyst? I think so, yeah."

"Yeah. The confession on paper was a catalyst. I could hardly look her in the eye for the next week or so. And as hard as I tried to forget about it, it's sorta been lingering in my mind ever since."

"So this is like your deep dark secret, huh," Conan said teasingly.

"Yer the one ta talk, Mr. 'I shot one guy in the head and set another on fire'."

"I'm not proud of what I did," Conan said, suddenly very sober. "And in any case you know as well as I that both of those people are alive and well today. I am not a murderer. I'm not like the people we put away..."

Realizing that he'd stepped over a line, Heiji mulled over his next few words carefully.

"...Sorry," he mustered. "I didn't think before I spoke."

There was a very uncomfortable pause.

"This one will do nicely," Conan said, straining to pick up a large stick.

"Yeah, I got 'bout all I can carry too," Heiji said. "Let's head back."

And so, they began to walk back towards the camp site.

"There's one thing that's bugging me though," Heiji said.

"Let me guess, it's that Kazuha wanted to tag along?" Conan said.

Heiji nodded. "This is a freakin' suicide forest. I dunno why she'd ever volunteer to come to a place like this. I figured she would've jumped at the first chance to sit this one out."

"Isn't that obvious?" Conan said. "She's curious about what you wrote two years ago."

Heiji stopped in his tracks. "You're right. Man, how could I've not noticed something like this? I gotta find the box before she does!"

"I think you're being ridiculous."

"Eh? And how's that, huh?"

"Look, you've wanted to confess your feelings to her for quite some time now, right?" Conan asked. "So how's it a big deal if she finds out this way?"

"Cause I didn't mean it back then," Heiji said with great resolve. "Just words on paper. I wanted to prove that I wasn't chicken. It was a matter of my pride, however misguided and foolhardy. Pride and love are two very different things. No, it's gotta be from my own mouth, from my heart of hearts, on my own terms. I can't let the foundation of our relationship be some stinkin' lie! Ya hearin me, Kudo?"

"Just saying, you've been trying to set the terms for your big confession, like there's gonna be this magical moment when all the stars are in alignment or something. If you keep putting it off, one day it's gonna be too late. You only live once, right? And you don't know how long that life's gonna be, for you or for Kazuha. We're all a bunch of d*mned fools, thinking we've got plenty of time to do all the important things...where did we get the notion that we're promised another fifty minutes? Much less another fifty years? It's absurdity. We're all gonna lose everything one day, no exceptions..."

Kudo, Heiji thought with concern, seeing that this wasn't so much about him any more.

Heiji looked up.

It's those whole dang forest I bet, he thought. Exertin' a pressure on us, stirrin' up our negative emotions. I'd hate to think what kind of effect this environment would have on a person who's already teetering on the brink of self-harm. This is definitely not a healthy place for human beings. We oughta make our business here short as possible.

 **Scene Transition**

"...This is nice," Kazuha said, walking through the forest. "It's been a long time since we've been able to spend time with each other like this. Eh, Ran?"

Nancy sighed. "Out with it already. Who told you? Was it Sonoko?"

"Heiji, actually," Kazuha said. "When he heard it from Kudo that Sonoko knew, he felt it safe to tell me."

"So you know about Conan also?"

Kazuha nodded. "He's Kudo. But more on point: I don't get is why you didn't call me as soon as Sonoko found-

"I wanted to, believe me!" Nancy said. "But Shinichi warned me I couldn't just go around telling my friends. He said it was too risky. Sonoko finding out wasn't even supposed to happen. I, uh, I kinda let it slip. On purpose. I knew I wasn't supposed to, and I second-guessed my actions immediately, but I just couldn't stand seeing her like that any longer."

"I can understand that, I suppose," Kazuha said.

"So, what'd you write on the paper?" Nancy suddenly blurted out.

(Author's Note: They'd told Conan and Nancy about the time capsule on the car ride here.)

"Heeeeh?!" Kazuha protested. "Why wouldya ask me that?"

"I knew it!" Nancy said gleefully. "You wrote something like 'I love you Heiji', am I wrong?"

"K-Keep your voice down!" Kazuha said.

She turned her head around to make sure nobody was in earshot. Then she bent down, and whispered in Nancy's ear:

"Yes. As a matter of fact, that is exactly what I wrote. I figured five years was a long time, that I'd probably confess to him before them. But it was really stupid thing to do, I know now. Just wish I knew then."

"And that's why you drummed up the nerve to come to this suicide forest," Nancy conjectured excitedly (but in a loud whisper). "You can't risk Heiji finding the time capsule and unearthing it."

Kazuha nodded. "If I can get to it first, I can take my note out and put it back."

"Aww, how boring," Nancy said. "If I were you I'd also be looking to read Heiji's note."

"Huh? Why? He told me he just wrote 'Heiji was here'. Not anything to get excited about."

"And did he let you see what he wrote?" Nancy prodded.

"Come to think of it, no," Kazuha said, stopping in her tracks. "He refused to show me."

Okay, now I really wanna see what the big stinking deal was with him, she thought. I gotta get my hands on his note.

Her face turned away, Nancy used her hand to cover her mouth and stifle laughter.

This is gonna be a good trip, I just know it, she thought.

 **Scene Transition**

They put their sticks in a pile and Heiji set it ablaze with a lighter.

"Not too much now," Kazuha warned.

Satisfied with the little fire he got going, Heiji stood upright.

He opened up his backpack and took out two cans of baked beans, and a hand-cranked can opener.

Kazuha went inside her (and Nancy's) tent and retrieved the skillet and some paper plates.

 **Five Minutes Later**

They sat in front of the fire and ate.

"Hey, what are we gonna do with the plates?" Kazuha asked.

Heiji shrugged. "Just put it in the fire, I guess. It's paper, so I don't think it'll hurt anything."

"Hey. You're that kid from two years ago, right?"

They had company.

Four people (three guys and one girl) walked up to them and their campfire.

Heiji stood up. "H-Hey, you guys didn't get a letter too, didya?!"

The four people looked at each other.

"As a matter of fact, we did," one of them said.

 **Scene Transition**

The names of the four people were as following:

-Yohei Takeuchi, age 23, male (a muscular man)

-Tsurugi Shimozono, age 22, male (a skinny man)

-Ayase Fujibayashi, age 23, female (with long hair dyed blonde and a black leather jacket)

-Masaya Tobita, AKA "Toby", age 24, male (a fat man)

With the exception of Tsurugi (who was currently a senior) and Toby (who dropped out), they were all graduates of Gifu University. Two years ago they, along with their now deceased classmate, Shouko Isehara (age 22), were part of the Gifu University Photography Club.

Two years ago, Yohei and Ayase had come to the forest with Shouko to take some black and white pictures of these woods with a high-end analog camera from the late 80s. Tsurugi and Toby were not present on that day, for the simple reason that Shouko suggested that they split up to find ideal shooting locations. About a half hour later Yohei and Ayase regrouped, and within seconds were approached by the local police, who were able to identify them as Shouko's friends via footage taken from security cameras at the entrance to the forest. It was then that they were informed that Shouko had hung herself from a tree (she was taken by paramedics to a hospital, where she was pronounced dead thirty five minutes later); present at the scene of the hanging was a local police captain on duty and Heiji Hattori, an Osakan teen who apparently had some history working with the Osakan police on various cases and whose father was a cop.

They stood around the fire enjoying the snacks that Tsurugi had brought.

"After what happened, we all left the club," Ayase said. "We did give it a try, but in the end none of us were really willing to go back to business as usual without Shouko-chan. So that was it."

"She was the bedrock of the group," Tsurugi said. "She put in untold thankless hours behind the scenes for us. And without her and the club, we just kind of lost touch with each other afterwards."

"You two are the exception though, right?" Toby said, pointing to Yohei and Ayase. "I heard on FaceBuck that you two are engaged now?"

The two of them nodded.

"Congratulations, then," Kazuha said.

"But still," Yohei said. "One of us had the audacity to send a letter like that."

The same thought apparently popped into all their heads, because they glanced not too subtly at Toby.

Toby stood up. "Oh I see what this is. You think I'm behind this, huh? Well newsflash, I'm not! I got a letter same as everyone else. Look!"

He showed his. "Alright, your turn. If one of us doesn't have a letter, we'll know who it is."

Accordingly Yohei, Tsurugi, Ayase, and Heiji pulled out theirs and displayed them.

"Hmph, I don't imagine the sender would be stupid enough to not make HIMself a letter also," Yohei said.

"What are you insinuating?!" Toby demanded.

"Why don't we all just take a deep breath and chill?" Ayase said, stepping between the two of them. "There's no reason to us to turn on each other like animals. We're all friends, right?"

"There was once a time when I thought we were," Toby said. "But now I'm not so sure. You were certainly no friend of Shouko's. That much is obvious."

He turned and walked away from the campfire and the group.

"Alright, could somebody please tell me what the heck he meant by that?" Heiji asked.

Tsurugi shrugged. "None of us except Toby attended Shouko's funeral. He sees that as a betrayal of her memory."

For whatever reason they all glanced at Kazuha uncomfortably.

Meanwhile, Conan and Nancy were conversing about twenty yards away.

"...No way!" Conan said in a loud whisper. "They're both here for the same reason? You're serious?"

"I am," Nancy said.

"Do you think we should just tell them so they can move forward with their relationship?"

"I wouldn't recommend it," Nancy said. "Like you said, Heiji really doesn't want his confession to be under these circumstances."

"But that's just dumb," Conan said. "Maybe he wasn't sincere two years ago. He's sincere now. So what's it matter whether he meant it at the time?"

"But you and I respect his wishes though," Nancy said. "As much as I hate to say this, I think what's best is that we find the box before either of them and destroy both confessions."

"Huuuh?!" Conan protested.

"Look, whoever finds the box first, there's a chance that the other person will perceive that the feelings expressed within were not reciprocated. They might respond by panic, doubling down on their denials, or otherwise doing something really, really stupid like breaking off all contact between the two of them. Even if the other person were to state that the feeling was mutual, they might just interpret it as being something the other person was pressured into saying by the circumstances at hand, something that they didn't really mean. We don't have the right to gamble with whatever relationship they have presently. Privacy of thought is one of our most precious and important rights, and to take that away from our friends would not only be cruel but also an unforgivable breach of their trust."

Conan smirked. "When did you get to be so wise?"

"Nah, it's something I learned on an episode of Boywatch."

"...You mean Baywatch, right? I assume you're just doing that thing where we deliberately butcher the names of copyrighted brands and franchises?"

"Huh?"

"Please just tell me you mean Baywatch, for the love of Gott."

"What's Baywatch?"

Conan did a facepalm and began to walk back towards the campfire without saying a word.

 **Scene Transition**

Yohei and Tsurugi had brought tents, so the four of them set them up.

Shortly afterwards, it became dark, and shortly after that the fire went out.

"800..." Heiji mumbled, sitting upright in his sleeping bag.

"Oi, are you really counting down from 1000?" Conan, his tentmate for the night, asked.

Instead of answering Heiji just kept on mentally reciting numbers.

"Grab the flashlight," Heiji said quickly so as to not lose rhythm.

Conan turned it on.

"This light's kind of pitiful," Conan said, turning it back off again.

"That's deliberate," Heiji said quickly. "...So I don't lose count."

"Huh?"

"...So I don't lose wake Kazuha sorry."

Conan very slowly began to undo the tent zipper.

"We're gonna find it," Heiji said quickly.

After a little while:

"Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four three, two..."

Heiji stood up in the tent.

The two of them stepped outside.

Suddenly, they heard an unzipping sound coming from Kazuha and Nancy's tent. The two teenage girls stepped out, and...

They were left facing each other awkwardly, dim flashlights in hand.

"Heiji?" Kazuha wondered. "What are you doing up?"

"I could ask you the same thing," the dark skinned boy countered.

"Me and Ran were heading out to relieve ourselves in private," Kazuha said.

"Same with me an' Kudo," Heiji said.

And so they split up again.

"You could've just told her we were going to investigate these woods," Conan said. "Then we'd have an excuse for being out here all night if necessary."

"Sorry, I wasn't thinking. Anyways, looks like I'm gonna hafta ask you for a yuge favor."

"Huh?"

"Kazuha's definitely gonna get suspicious if she catches me out again. So I need you to stay out here while I return to the tent-

"And get a good night's sleep while I'm left scrounging around for a cardboard box hidden somewhere in the dirt all night long?"

"You got it," Heiji said with a sheepish grin. "Real sorry about this, pal. I'll be sure to return the favor one day."

"Can I cash in now and get out of having to do this?" Conan retorted.

"Nope. Doesn't work that way. I got an extra pair of batteries in my pocket. Here. In between these that flashlight should last you a couple of hours. If you don't find it before they both run out, then you can just call it a night. Well, goodnight and happy hunting."

A few minutes later, Conan caught up with Nancy.

"Did Kazuha also have you stay out to look?" he asked.

She nodded.

Conan sighed. "Alright then. Everyone else is asleep, let's go find that time capsule."

 **Scene Transition**

 **The Next Day**

Having his face flicked repeatedly was enough to get Conan to open his eyes.

"Good morning sleepyheads," Kazuha said gleefully.

She and Heiji were staring at Conan and Nancy, who apparently had fallen asleep leaning against a tree...and each other.

Now that their relationship had sort of been established, neither one of them really minded being caught in this situation.

"What time is it?" Conan asked.

"About 9:30 in the morning," Kazuha said, checking her phone.

"Yo, can I talk to you?" Heiji asked Conan.

They went a few yards off by themselves.

"What the flip happened?" Heiji whispered. "Why was Ran out here with you?"

"She just happened to be out also," Conan lied. "I couldn't help it. Not like I could conduct my search while she was watching me."

Well, we didn't find anything, he thought. Maybe that's for the best...

Yohei, being the last to wake up, got out of his tent.

"Hey, has anyone seen Ayase?" he asked.

Tsurugi, after taking a sip of bottled water, shook his head. "I haven't seen her since last night."

"Well, if I recall she's a light sleeper," Toby said, staring at something in his hand. "I'm sure she got up before any of us, perhaps went on a hike or did some yoga."

Yohei went up to him. "What's that?"

"Huh? N-Nothing," Toby said.

"Come on, let me see," Yohei said.

"No, it's none of your-

Yohei snatched it from him. Tsurugi came up behind him and took a look at it also.

Yohei angrily threw it to the ground. "You're sick, man! Packing a picture like this around with you?! Really? Do you get your thrills from this?"

"Hey, get off my case, man!" Toby countered. "What's it to you? Not like you gave a crap about her anyway."

Instead of continuing this heated exchange Yohei walked away and began to take deep breaths. Tsurugi followed him.

Curious, Heiji and Conan walked over and picked it up off the ground. They examined it.

It was a postmortem photograph of Shouko taken by the police from a cellphone, just seconds before taking her down from the tree to get her rushed to the hospital.

This photo, Conan thought. Why was the body like that...?

They then noticed that Kazuha and Ran were looking over their shoulders to look at the picture also.

"You're too nosy," Heiji said, walking over to Toby to hand the photo back to him.

Toby accepted it gratefully.

*wush* *wush*

Hmm? Nancy thought, in response to the sound.

Toby put the picture in his pocket and went back inside his tent.

Conan looked down at his feet. "Heh, it's kind of foggy right now, isn't it?"

"Yeah, and it's almost like there's a chill in the air," Heiji said.

"YAAAAAAHHHHH!"

All seven of them ran in the direction of the scream, which led them deep into the woods.

As they ran, the fog on the ground just got thicker and thicker, until it was like a blanket-esque cloud had descended from the sky.

They ran past a big tree, and-

Three of them (Conan, Heiji, and Yohei) stopped in their tracks.

It had been only as long as a blink, but in that blink they could've sworn that they saw-

"I'm not the only one...right?" Conan asked, uncertain.

Heiji shook his head.

There was a pause.

Toby caught up with them, panting. "Oi, what are you guys doing? Did you find Ayas-

"AAAAAAAAAHH!"

And with that they ran up ahead, until they caught up with Kazuha and Nancy, who had let out that second scream just then.

Ayase was hanging from a tree, her neck suspended in mid-air by a noose, her lifeless body swinging gently.

Panicking, Yohei turned to Tsurugi and Heiji. "Help me get her down!"

As they were doing so, they noticed the piece of paper on the ground. They picked it up and read it:

"Shouko's spirit cannot rest until she has exacted vengeance on all of us. I was her first victim. Leave these woods NOW!"

 **Ending**

( _Hikari_ by Hikaru Utada, main theme to the 2002 video game Kingdom Hearts)

 _Donna toki datte_

 _Tada hitori de_

 _Unmei wasurete_

 _Ikite kita no ni_

 _Totsuzen no hikari no naka me ga sameru_

 _Mayonaka ni_

 _Shizuka ni deguchi ni tatte_

 _Kurayami ni hikari o ute_

 _Imadoki yakusoku nante fuan ni saseru dake kana_

 _Negai o kuchi ni shitai dake sa_

 _Kazoku ni mo shoukai suru yo_

 _Kitto umaku iku yo_

 _Donna toki datte_

 _Zutto futari de_

 _Donna toki datte_

 _Soba ni iru kara_

 _Kimi to iu hikari ga watashi o mitsukeru_

 _Mayonaka ni_

 **Next Conan's Hint: Butter**


	2. Chapter 2

"YAAAAAAHHHHH!"

All seven of them ran in the direction of the scream, which led them deep into the woods.

As they ran, the fog on the ground just got thicker and thicker, until it was like a blanket-esque cloud had descended from the sky.

They ran past a big tree, and-

Three of them (Conan, Heiji, and Yohei) stopped in their tracks.

It had been only as long as a blink, but in that blink they could've sworn that they saw-

"I'm not the only one...right?" Conan asked, uncertain.

Heiji shook his head.

There was a pause.

Toby caught up with them, panting. "Oi, what are you guys doing? Did you find Ayas-

"AAAAAAAAAHH!"

And with that they ran up ahead, until they caught up with Kazuha and Nancy, who had let out that second scream just then.

Ayase was hanging from a tree, her neck suspended in mid-air by a noose, her lifeless body swinging gently.

Panicking, Yohei turned to Tsurugi and Heiji. "Help me get her down!"

As they were doing so, they noticed the piece of paper on the ground. They picked it up and read it:

"Shouko's spirit cannot rest until she has exacted vengeance on all of us. I was her first victim. Leave these woods NOW!"

 **OPENING**

(White Sails by Maroon Festival)

(No pain, no gain! In the course of exposing the flaws in others you'll often uncover unwanted truths about yourself! The cursed forest strikes again! Friends turn on each other as a dead girl's spirit is howling for blood! Perceiving the one and only truth! With the body of a child but the mind of an adult, my name is DETECTIVE CONAN!)

If you look now you can see them departing from the docks

Bravely embarking beyond the horizon visible from the shore

Venturing into the endless deep-blue expanse we call the earth

Filled with anticipation and the realization there's no turning back

A trail blazed by the trade winds, overhead, blowing on their hair

Their time-worn wooden craft dipping into the crashing waves

The furthest out of the land-based seagulls seeing them off at last

As they boldly tread where none of their kin have gone before

"Isn't it great to be alive in these times?" the captain says, leaning against the deck

"Our forefathers made the way for this glorious day: let's not let them down, eh?"

White sails unfurled, capturing the wind, our time is here and now

We are the human race, the inheritors of a momentous undertaking

Today we write the next chapter in the timeless story of the proud

So they'll say of us, "They pushed the boundary to the next level."

 **Time Capsule Buried in Hades! Part Two!**

Ayase's body was lifted onto a stretcher and the paramedics carried her off, leaving the seven of them (Heiji, Kazuha, Conan, Nancy, Yohei, Tsurugi, and Toby) to themselves. They knew the police would be arriving shortly to ask questions.

"...Well?" Toby said.

"Hmm?"

"Aren't we gonna address the elephant in the room?" Toby asked. "You all think I killed her, don't you?"

"...I'm not sure," Yohei said. "None of us are."

"Hey, are you sure you didn't see it?" Heiji asked.

"See what?" Toby asked.

"What else? Shouko-chan's ghost!" Yohei said. "Hanging from a tree, exactly like in that police photo you've got on you!"

His eyes widening, Toby put his hands on Yohei's shoulders.

"WHAT?!" he let out. "Shouko's here? Where? Where did you see her?"

"I-It was over there," Yohei said, pointing in the direction where they'd come from.

Without saying another word Toby ran off in that direction.

" _O_ - _Oi_ , the police are gonna wanna question all of us!" Heiji called out.

But Toby, instead of answering, just kept running until he was out of sight.

"Alright, I'll bite: What's with him?" Nancy asked. "Was he Shouko-san's lover?"

Yohei scoffed. "He wished. He had the biggest crush on her. It was obvious to all of us. We think he may've even asked her out once, but if so she declined."

"He was hit the hardest when she died," Tsurugi said. "He went into a borderline catatonic state. He stopped attending classes and ultimately dropped out. He didn't leave his room at his parents' house for weeks or even months at a time. I've never seen anything like it. He must've really loved her."

"Hmph, what he felt was obsession, pure and simple," Yohei said. "Toby's psychotic."

" _Neh_ , what was Shouko-san like?" Conan asked.

"Hmm? Well, she was as nice as nice could be," Tsurugi said. "She was very modest and almost shy but at the same time very outgoing and friendly. Kind of the opposite of Ayase. Her choice in fashion was the opposite of Ayase's also. Whereas Ayase went for more of a sexy biker chick vibe, Shouko's fashion sense was more conservative. She gravitated more towards pretty than hot, if you know what I mean. If I was to use one word to describe her, I'd have to go with Angel."

"Ha, don't make me you had feelings for that freak too?" Yohei said.

"Hey come on man, as if skipping her funeral wasn't enough?" Tsurugi said. "Surely we're being harder on her than she deserved."

"Oh please, nothing's too hard for that bit-

*wham*

And with that, Yohei found himself slamming to the ground.

Kazuha lowered her leg. "What the h*ll's wrong with you?! That girl killed herself and all you can do is stand here and talk trash about her? You make me sick!"

Rubbing his swelling cheek, Yohei stood up. "Trust me lady, you don't know the whole story, alright? And you don't wanna know either. Shouko was anything but an angel."

He sighed. "And if we're really not mistaken about what we saw, I have every reason to hate her. She killed my woman, in cold blood..."

He fell to his knees. "Ayase, I'll never get to feel your breath on my neck again..."

 **Scene Transition**

Finally, the police arrived.

"We meet again, Hattori-kun," Inspector (until recently, Officer) Shiramoto, the police captain who'd been present two years ago, said.

Heiji nodded. "Likewise. Must be fate."

Toby came back into sight.

"Where the heck you been?!" Yohei demanded.

"Where else? To find Shouko!" Toby said.

"Huh?" Inspector Shiramoto said.

They explained to the Inspector what they saw.

"If we were having this discussion anywhere else I'd think you were BS-ing me," he said. "But in a place like this I guess it's not totally implausible. If such a malevolent entity actually killed someone, perhaps it's best if we call a priest."

"Or better yet, why don't we just get out of here?" Tsurugi said. "Ayase left us a warning, didn't she?"

"Screw you guys!" Toby said. "I'm staying right here, so Shouko can find me."

"You do realize what she'll do to you, don't you?!" Tsurugi said.

"You think I care?" Toby said. "If I die, then we can finally be together. If all of us stay here, then we can all..."

"Aw phooey, I knew you were psycho, but this is taking it to a whole new level," Yohei said. "I'm staying here, but just so we can find that son of a b***h who killed Ayase and tried to frame a dead person. As psycho as that person is, he might very well try it again. But we'll be ready this time. It's either you or Tsurugi. I doubt that high school detective or whatever he calls himself has any vested interest in what happened two years ago, so I think it's safe to rule him out."

"Now hold on, why are you blaming me?" Tsurugi said.

"I didn't say that."

"You said I was a suspect, didn't you? If we're gonna assume it couldn't have been a ghost, then it had to be Toby, right?"

"STOP IT, all of you!" Inspector Shiramoto barked. "At this point we have no idea what happened. There's no productive value to be found in pointing fingers at each other, or in talk about dying."

"Good grief, what happened to us?" Tsurugi asked, throwing his hands up in frustration. "We've become terrible people."

"Alright, I think it's helpful if we start with some basic questions," the Inspector said. "How did you all get here?"

"We came yesterday in my dad's car," Heiji said, pointing to himself, Kazuha, Conan and Nancy. "He dropped us off at the Lake Sai Bat Cave parking lot."

"The four of us (counting Ayase) got here around the same time, entered the forest as a group, and caught up with them (Heiji and the likes) about maybe two hours later," Yohei said. "Our cars should currently be parked in the Narusawa Ice Cave."

"I see," the Inspector said. "And what kind of cars do you drive?"

"Me and Ayase came in her car, a silver jeep," Yohei said. "2016 model, I think. I would've come in my motorcycle, but she's forbidden me from driving it ever since we moved in together. At the risk of sounding coarse, I look forward to driving it again now."

"I came in my green Prius," Tsurugi said.

"I came in my truck," Toby said. "A 2020 Ford F-150. A present from my dad after my release from the hospital couple months ago. It's red."

"You were in the hospital?" Tsurugi asked.

"Yeah, suicide attempt, or so I heard," Yohei said.

The Inspector finished writing all that down. "Alright. Good. Now, you said the ghost resembled the police photo of the deceased Shouko Isehara?"

Toby nodded. "I got a copy of it here. Take a look."

He handed it to the Inspector.

In the picture, Shouko was wearing a long whitish-pinkish dress. Her light, curly hair was exposed and perhaps complimented by her pale face and neck. Foliage obscured her feet, ankles, and slightly above that.

He shook his head. "I remember this. A tragedy."

Conan took a step forward.

"You're stepping in an ant pile."

At Nancy's words, Conan practically leapt back. He took off one shoe (his right) and began using it to brush off the top of the shoe that had stepped in the ants (his left).

And then:

Hmm? Conan thought.

Suddenly, he examined the bottom of his right shoe, and then smelled it.

How did that get on there? he thought.

He put it back on and, following a hunch, walked under the large branch of the very large oak tree which had been used to hang Ayase.

He look down at the ground, saw what he was looking for about two feet away, and then got down on his hands and knees.

"Are you...sniffing the ground?" Heiji asked.

" _Oi_ , Heiji, get a whiff of this," Conan whispered loudly.

Heiji walked over, also got on his hands and knees, and sniffed it also.

"How good are you at climbing trees?" Conan asked.

"Good enough," Heiji said.

Heiji walked over to Kazuha. "Hey, can you give me a boost with something?"

"Huh?"

"I need to climb that tree. Just need a small boost."

"No way!" she responded. "You weigh more than me for sure. I'm not gonna hurt my back doing that."

"Come on now, please, it's for the case."

"Then give me a boost."

Heiji sighed. "Alright. Come a little closer. I want you to..."

He whispered it in her ears.

Not understanding at all why Heiji would have her do that, she nonetheless nodded.

 **Scene Transition**

"You better not look up my skirt," Kazuha said.

"Yeah, yeah. I won't."

They readied themselves.

"One...two...three...lift!"

Heiji lifted Kazuha up. She climbed onto the branch.

"H-Hey, what is she doing?!" Tsurugi protested.

Balancing herself uneasily, Kazuha began sniffing around.

"Yup, it's just like you said!" she called out. "Can I come down now?"

"Sure."

Kazuha tried to position herself to neatly jump down. But there wasn't enough space. She wobbled.

"I'll catch you," Heiji said. "Jump."

After a moment's hesitation, Kazuha jumped.

*thud*

Heiji hadn't been quite as prepared as he thought, because catching her was more than enough to knock him down on his back.

Kazuha got off of him.

"Geez, girl, you need to go on a diet or something," he muttered.

"Hmph, well excuse me if you're a total weakling," she retorted.

Officer Shiramoto stepped forward. "What was it you two were doing just now? Since this is Hattori-kun we're talking about I'm assuming there was some serious, rational purpose behind it."

"We were just checking for something," Heiji said.

"And that would be...?"

"I'm not sure about anything yet," Heiji said. "So I'd rather not say at this point."

I am, Conan thought. I thought I saw something on the back of Ayase-san's pants...this confirms it. The alibi trick. But how did that person pull off the ghost?"

 **Scene Transition**

Conan and Heiji returned to the approximate spot in the woods where they saw Shouko's apparition.

"There's got to be some kind of evidence around here," Heiji said.

They got closer to the scene, took a look around.

Twenty seconds later...

"Hey, look at this!" Heiji said.

Conan came running.

"This tree," Heiji said. "Its branches have been cut clean off."

Conan took a good look to confirm that this was the case, and then he turned to the side.

"And look there," he said.

They observed that a bunch of shelf fungi (that which grows on trees) laid detached and probably dying on the forest floor in a pile right next to a tall tree.

"That's clearly not a natural formation," Heiji said.

They looked up at the tree.

"Hey, can you lift me up?" Conan asked.

And so Heiji did so, and the shrunken detective got a closer look.

"Well?" Heiji asked.

"They've been scraped off. And the formation matches."

"Hey! You two!"

A local officer approached them.

"This is a crime scene! What are you doing!"

"We're witnesses to the crime, officer," Conan said.

"Yeah, it was a woman in her 20s, right?" Heiji said. "Leather jacket, blonde hair."

"...I apologize then," the officer said. "You must be that boy the Inspector's been telling us about, Heiji Hattori."

Heiji nodded. "Hey, if you're not too busy we have a favor to ask you."

"Um, okay...?"

"Two of them, actually," Conan said, to Heiji's surprise.

Conan grinned.

 **Scene Transition**

Conan and Heiji stood in the woods.

"Well, I think we reconstructed that well enough," Conan said. "We've got method, and we've got motive..."

"Um, yeah," Heiji said. "Listen, Kudo...I haven't been entirely forthcoming with you in regards to what happened two years ago."

"Huuh?"

"Now's as good a time as any to tell you, so listen well..."

 **Scene Transition**

"Well, we've found no sort of recording device around here which could've been used for the scream," Inspector Shiramoto said. "With the exception of Tobita-san (Toby) here, none of you would've had the opportunity to go back and hide such a device."

Toby shrugged. "Go ahead, then. Search the entire woods. Search my vehicle. You won't find anything. You know why? Because this wasn't the invention of any mortal. This was supernatural. This was the doing of Shouko! Shouko, if you can hear me, I'll gladly be your next victim!"

"YAAAAAAAAAHHH!"

Yohei looked around. "Surely not again! We're all here, right?"

"Not all of us!" Kazuha said frantically. "HEIJI?!"

And with that, they all went running back in the direction towards their campsite.

As they neared a large tree:

"AAH!"

The Inspector turned his head to the left, and then he stopped in his tracks.

He took a few steps back, and looked at it again.

He squinted, and then a few seconds later he realized what it was.

The rest of them caught up to him.

"...Whelp, there's your ghost," he said.

And now, they all had a chance to get a good look at it.

There was a forked tree to the right. A weak, deformed Fuji Cherry (cherry blossom, extending leftwards and diagonally) tree was supported by it, and its blossoms hung downwards, in a shape that simulated the pinkish-white dress. Behind it, there was a tree. From the perspective of a person looking at the "ghost", on the part of the tree right above the cherry blossoms in its foreground were tree fungi that form the shape of a human head and a noose. Its color was close to white near the head part, and the "noose" part was a little more grayish. Below, some plants obscured the bottom parts of the cherry blossoms, which otherwise would've been seen drooping all the way to the ground.

"Whenever you only have like have a second to look at it, combined with strong sunlight obscuring it, combined with the impression left in your minds by the image of Shouko-san, you all interpreted this hodgepodge of scenery as having all the characteristics of a human being," said Conan, emerging from a hiding spot. "This was a once in a quadrillion view, which the killer discovered beforehand and took full advantage of."

"That having been said," Heiji said, also emerging from hiding, "the killer is none other than Masaya Tobita."

Everyone looked at Toby in horror.

"I knew it!" Yohei said. "You son of a b**h, you killed Ayase!"

"H-Hold on!" the Inspector said. "Before jumping to conclusions, I would like to point out that this is a very serious accusation, one that will surely be thrown out without evidence. For starters, like the rest of you Tobita-san had an alibi."

"Ah yes," Heiji said. "Ayase-san screamed, and then all of us, including Tobita-san, came running in that direction. It was clearly not possible for any of us to have killed her, had her scream been a reliable indicator of when she was killed."

"So you're saying the scream was a ruse?" Inspector Shiramoto asked.

"No, it was real all right," Heiji said. "Here's what happened: early this morning Ayase-san probably received a text from Tobita-san asking him to meet her in private. He stunned her, carried her to the oak tree, and with the use of a ladder set her unconscious self lying down upon the branch, the noose around her neck so that it would kill her should she fall. Then, he placed two fresh little thingies of butter on her buttocks, or rather on the back of her pants where her butt was located. Over time, her body temperature would melt it. There would be a transitional period whenever the butter was halfway melted, in which it would be easy for the butter to slide. Once she began to stir, this would happen, and she'd fall off the branch, having just enough time to let out a scream."

"After we discovered the body," Conan said, "Tobita-san used the alleged sighting of Shouko-san's ghost as an excuse to run off on his own. From there, he returned to this site and used a ladder, a pruning tool, and perhaps a scraper used in fast food restaurants to cut down the branches of the cherry blossom and scrape off the fungi that resembled a head and noose. Then he hid the cherry blossom branches a little further in the woods, where we found them. We asked a local police officer for some glue, which we used to reconstruct this scene."

"There was one more aspect to his trick," Heiji said. "And that would be the fog, which gave a very supernatural feel to the crime scene and to the environment in which we believed to have seen Shouko-san's ghost. It was an unnatural occurrence; but since things like ghosts do not exist, if it was not a natural occurrence then it must've been manmade."

"We received confirmation," Conan said. "Near the campsite the police found three large Yetee coolers. In addition, they found some ropes, tall Theermos cups, coasters (those things that you place cups on), and weights. Tobita-san found three ideal trees along the path in between the campsite and the crime scene, where we'd be sure to pass through. Near the trees he placed the coolers, filled up with dry ice, upside down and with the lid unlatched. He tied a long rope to these, which he then looped over the tree and tied onto a large, fairly heavy branch. Also tied to the branch was a second, thinner rope, which at the bottom was tied in a knot on a coaster that had a sizable hole punctured into it. Sitting on top of the coaster was the Theermos cup, filled with hot water, tilted slightly at the coaster's edge, perhaps supported by a rock or something. Then he placed a sizable cut onto the branch, so that its structural integrity was compromised, and placed a weight on it. Within either minutes or hours, depending on how he set it up, the branches would come crashing down. They would come pulling up on the coolers and the coasters. In the process, the dry ice would spill out onto the floor, and the cup would fall down also, spilling its water. The dry ice and hot water would mix, forming a thick layer of fog on the forest grounds along the path. As evidence, we've determined three of these trees right along the path where branches recently just came off."

"The police are now checking these items for Tobita's fingerprints," Heiji said. "If such are found, he'll be implicated as the culprit."

Toby took a step back. "No, no, you're wrong! S-Stay away from me, all of you!"

"Why'd you do it?" The Inspector asked.

"S-Surely you're not *that* upset about the funeral?!" Tsurugi said.

"No, this isn't about Shouko-san's funeral," Heiji said. "Tobita-san, two years ago I noticed something very odd about the body: it was facing towards the tree. That's rather unusual. You, of course, were sure to make sure that Ayase-san's body also faced the tree, so as to mirror those circumstances. Combined with other evidences found on scene and on the ground near Shouko-san, I came to a conclusion: she did not in fact come to this forest to kill herself."

And this came as a surprise to nobody but Kazuha and Nancy, who were out of the loop.

"She split up from the group so that she could engage in...certain pleasurable activities," Heiji said. "To put it bluntly, she died of autoerotic asphyxiation."

"Auto what?" Kazuha said.

"Whenever the brain is suddenly deprived of oxygen," Conan explained, "it can create a feeling of euphoria. Combined with sexual gratification, this can make for an extremely pleasurable experience. However, this is also extremely dangerous. Many people have died trying this. One could very easily die on his first try."

"Shouko-san had a very unusual paraphilia," Heiji said. "She was aroused by death. The police later found loads of pornography of that nature on her computer. Coming to this forest to deprive her brain of oxygen via a noose was just too great a thrill for her to resist."

"For the sake of Shouko-san's family," Heiji continued, "the captain and I decided to cover up her shame and say that this was a suicide. Yohei-san and Ayase-san were in on it, and by the looks of things they went and told Tsurugi-san about it too. And that's why they didn't attend her funeral: upon learning the truth about who she was, they were disgusted by her, and felt like they never really knew her at all."

"Tobita-san alone was never told the truth," Conan said. "And the reason for that was obvious: he loved her greatly, so they didn't want to burden him with that knowledge."

"But this backfired," Nancy said, putting the pieces together. "He became despondent for the next two years, and even attempted suicide. He dropped out of college, became a hikikomori. I imagine he would've still had that college debt to pay back, but now he was unemployable except in low-skill, minimum wage lines of work. He would be a loser for life, because nobody told him the truth."

"...Yeah," Toby said, an anger beginning to rise in him. "But that's not all! You know how I attempted suicide? Well, the nurse there was a young intern. She took good care of me every step of the way. We got to know each other pretty well, and soon enough she fell in love with me. Shortly after I was released from the hospital, she asked me out on a date. And honestly, I liked her too. But I still couldn't get over Shouko, so I turned her down. About two weeks ago, I found out the truth about Shouko, after months of digging. I cornered an officer who had inside details on what happened that day, and he spilled the beans on everything. I quickly got over Shouko after that, and went crawling back to that nurse. But by this time she'd already found herself a boyfriend! That was it. That was my one and only chance to find love and happiness in this godforsaken world, and I blew it...all because of you f**kers! I HATE YOU ALL!"

And with that, Toby reached into his pocket and pulled out a gun.

He grinned wickedly. "This is good. All of the players involved in the cover-up are here before my very eyes. I was hoping I wouldn't have to resort to this, but...here's how it's gonna work. I'm gonna shoot you all, and then myself. We'll all die here, where my life ended two years ago."

Tsurugi raised his hands slowly. "Toby...don't do this, man. We were just looking out for you."

"Oh? And who gave you all the right to play God with my life, huh?! I know how it was: I was the fat guy. The socially awkward guy. So I must've been stupid as well, right? I couldn't handle the truth, right? Well let's just see who holds all the power now, huh-

*wham*

He had been so lost in his own thoughts that he didn't notice Heiji and Kazuha signaling to each other, and then signaling "One, Two, Three" with their hands, and then lunging forwards.

Now, he was on the ground, barely conscious.

Inspector Shiramoto picked up the gun.

"Don't know where you got this, but you won't be needing it where you're going," he said coolly.

 **Ending**

( _Hikari_ by Hikaru Utada, main theme to the 2002 video game Kingdom Hearts)

 _Donna toki datte_

 _Tada hitori de_

 _Unmei wasurete_

 _Ikite kita no ni_

 _Totsuzen no hikari no naka me ga sameru_

 _Mayonaka ni_

 _Shizuka ni deguchi ni tatte_

 _Kurayami ni hikari o ute_

 _Imadoki yakusoku nante fuan ni saseru dake kana_

 _Negai o kuchi ni shitai dake sa_

 _Kazoku ni mo shoukai suru yo_

 _Kitto umaku iku yo_

 _Donna toki datte_

 _Zutto futari de_

 _Donna toki datte_

 _Soba ni iru kara_

 _Kimi to iu hikari ga watashi o mitsukeru_

 _Mayonaka ni_

At last, everyone else had gone, leaving Conan, Nancy, Heiji, and Kazuha by themselves, standing on the hiking path several yards from the former campsite.

"Alright, so, I called my dad and he'll be coming to get us soon," Heiji said. "We just gotta wait around here until then."

Kazuha looked around. "I guess our business here is concluded, huh?"

"Y-Yeah," Heiji said. "It's not like we had anything else to do here, right?"

They both laughed nervously.

There was an awkward pause.

"OH!" Kazuha then yelled out suddenly. 'I remember now! After we returned to the group, I asked one of the girls in our class and she said the Principal stashed the time capsue in a hollow spot in a-

She caught herself, realizing that Heiji could hear and understand her.

There was a pause, and then:

All heck broke loose and they ran towards the one tree they both knew was the place.

Heiji, being a healthy teenage boy, was faster.

He climbed up the tree, perched up on a branch, and reached into the hollow spot.

"Heiji! Don't look inside!" Kazuha pleaded from the ground.

Goodbye premature love confession, Heiji thought with glee when-

He suddenly lost his balance, and in the process of preventing himself from falling he dropped the shoebox/time capsule to the ground.

It spilled open.

" _Aho_! Don't touch or read anything!" Heiji called out.

Not wanting to risk landing on Kazuha, Heiji slowly climbed down the tree.

As he reached the bottom, he turned to Kazuha and:

In her hand was a paper slip, she having had ample opportunity to read it. He remembered the shape of it as being that of his own slip.

He froze in place. Feeling hot and itchy, he slowly removed his baseball cap from his head and let it fall to the ground.

Conan and Nancy caught up with them.

"Oh..."

"Crap," Nancy finished.

Looking down, her body shaking, Kazuha took a step forward. Heiji defensively took two steps back.

Kazuha took several more steps forward, and so Heiji just back up like crazy, not looking away.

"Heiji..."

He gulped and then managed, "Kazuha, that paper was a lie. I didn't mean it, okay? It was a stupid dare, and I..."

No answer.

"I-I just want you to know, I'm still the same guy you've always known. You don't have to feel uncomfortable around me, or keep your distance, because you have my word that I would never, ever do anything that-

Conan activated his Power-Enhancing Kick Shoes.

Oh good grief, he thought. Heiji's gonna need some prodding for this one. Here it is, old buddy, a soccer ball with your

"NAME ON IT!"

Conan pushed the button on his Anywhere Ball Dispensing Belt and sent the soccer ball flying towards Heiji's back.

Ah what the heck, Nancy thought, standing behind Kazuha, activating her shoes.

"Good luck Kazuha!"

She also sent a soccer ball flying.

*oof*

*oof*

Heiji and Kazuha collided.

Kazuha fell over backwards, and Heiji forward.

Needless to say, they were in a very compromising position, with Heiji on top of her.

Instead of trying to get up, they both just stared at each other intently.

Sheesh, if they don't kiss now then there's nothing more I can do for them, Conan thought.

Nancy silently muttered a prayer for the outcome of the next few seconds.

Kazuha's confused stare gave way to a smile, as she decided to take the initiative.

One second later, they were kissing. For the first time and, they hoped, not the last.

Locked in this passionate moment, neither one of them broke it off for the next ten seconds.

Nancy looked up at the sky.

The very atmosphere is charged with evil, she thought. Because Aokigahara is a place associated with death and loss, and has been for centuries. But does it have to be? Maybe the key to purifying these woods is found in tender moment like this, walking the path alongside the people who we care about.

She stood beside Conan, and extended her hand to her side. Conan accepted it, and they stood there holding hands, looking up at the sky.

 **The End**


End file.
